REACTION TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ABRUPT REVERSAL ON U.S. CUBAN FOREIGN POLICY. WE CHOOSE ENGAGEMENT WITH CUBANS AND AMERICANS.

Suzanne Thompson

The Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation is disheartened by President Trump’s abrupt reversal of Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro’s extraordinary
steps to normalize bilateral relations between the U.S. and Cuba. The Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation, a non-profit organization, works for a better
understanding between the people of United States and Cuba.

We must move forward, not backwards, by encouraging more opportunities which foster artistic, educational and cultural exchanges between artists, organizations
and institutions.

- Suzanne Thompson, Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation, President.

The Arts and Cultural Bridge Foundation has had several successful cultural exchanges benefiting both countries. Byron Motley, one of the artists sponsored
by the foundation presented his images of the newest component of the Cuban Revolution, the LGBTQ Revolution, at the 7th Congreso Cubano de Educacion,
Orientacion y Terapia Sexual (Sexual Education Congress) in Havana.

No law is big enough to take away the years of goodwill, relationships and respect that many of us have built, and will continue to build, with the
wonderful, generous and loving people of Cuba!

- Byron Motley.

We encourage support for Senators Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who co-sponsored the “Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act” with 53 other senators
so all Americans can travel freely to Cuba. We call for an end of the U.S. Embargo, "the blockade" against Cuba, and for support of the growing cadre
of national legislators who want to see an end to what they call “our failed Cuba policy”.

We need to continue to support actions and initiatives that contribute to the normalization of relations and for a better understanding between peoples.

Cuba's National Office of Statistics reported nearly 285,000 U.S. travelers visited Cuba between January and May of this year, surpassing the total number
of U.S. visitors during all of 2016 (284,900). This has helped towards generating many American style small businesses and family restaurants in Cuba.
American businesses have sold agricultural and other products to Cuba, benefiting American jobs.

We deeply regret that President Trump’s speech was full of hatred, animosity and threats. The absurd U.S. policy of hostility towards Cuba has long been
an embarrassment in Latin America and the rest of the world. It harms Americans and Cubans that President Trump chooses to support a long-failed policy.